Putin’s Kremlin uses typewriters to prevent computer leaks

Russia is going Back to the Future by taking an old-timey approach to securing top secret communications at the country’s seat of government power, eschewing technology and computers and turning to the typewriter.

A source at the Federal Guard Service – the group that oversees Kremlin communications with an eye at protecting President Vladimir Putin – said recent notable security-related compromises have given rise to the typewriter idea, the Telegraph reported.

“After scandals with the distribution of secret documents by WikiLeaks, the exposes by Edward Snowden, reports about Dmitry Medvedev being listened in on during his visit to the G20 summit in London, it has been decided to expand the practice of creating paper documents,” the unnamed source said, as reported by the Telegraph.

Typewriters have individual patterns of type. That means each document produced on a typewriter can be linked back to the typewriter – and eventually, typist – that produced it.

About the Author

Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.